Detective sent to Australia over alleged Viber messages

Investigators have now entered phase two of the probe into widely circulated screenshots of alleged Viber messages implicating police officers in drug-related activities, with a senior detective already in Australia to pursue the source of the messages.

This has been confirmed by Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu during a press conference at the Police Headquarters today, saying that phase two of the investigation focuses on checking the financial backgrounds of the officers allegedly involved, working closely with other stakeholders to establish any possible links.

Tudravu says this follows the completion of phase one, which involved extensive digital forensic screening of all phones belonging to the implicated officers.

Tudravu says the forensic analysis was carried out using specialised software used by international law enforcement agencies, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police and United States law enforcement.

He says this includes the examination of both existing and deleted Viber messages.

He says phase one did not confirm the authenticity of the messages or establish any direct link between the alleged messages and the officers concerned.

Tudravu says a senior police detective has travelled to Sydney to record a statement from the individual who uploaded the screenshots online.

Insert: Priority is to find the source Jan 07

The Commissioner stressed that information circulating on social media cannot stand on its own in a court of law and warned against drawing conclusions without evidence.

He reiterated that officers are placed on interdiction only when clear links or evidence are established, noting that police officers are sent on leave every week for other offences where investigations directly support such action.

Tudravu also revealed that two investigation teams are currently operating.

He says one team is handling the Viber message investigation, while a separate team of retired senior CID officers is independently investigating new allegations against police officers that have emerged from other sources, including overseas.